Think of this: Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), who wrote the first truly comprehensive English dictionary in 1755, was an extraordinary funnyman. He was so funny that it is said “the only person in the English language who’s quoted more often is Shakespeare.” In celebration of his 308th birthday last September 18,
Vox Media made a retrospective featuring eight of his funniest quotes, among them this gem in the
The Dictionary of the English Language itself: “
Dull: Not exhilaterating (sic); not delightful; as, to make dictionaries is
dull work.”
Read “Remembering Samuel Johnson” in Vox.com now!